1. No category

March 2015
Volume V, issue 7
A Message from the Principal
Dear EHS Students and Families,
February was a fantastic month for the EHS community. I’d like to congratulate all of our winter athletes. Our wrestling and ski teams had very strong seasons, our boys and girls basketball teams both
made the playoffs, and our Poms team were state runners-up and placed at Nationals. Our DECA
team did an excellent job at state, and will send a few students onto nationals next month. Finally, I’d
like to congratulate our girls swim and dive team. They had a fantastic season, and won their second
consecutive state title! Congratulations Cougars!
March begins the testing season. This week, we began our state mandated testing with English Language Arts and math. To help your students to do the best that they can, I encourage you to make
sure that your student gets plenty of sleep and eats a nutritious breakfast in the morning prior to
coming to school. These simple steps can make the difference on these tests.
I’d like to send a special thank-you to all of the students who
organized and participated in the farewell celebration for Lieutenant Colonel Poynter. As you may recall, Mr. Poynter has
been serving in the Air National Guard and has been called to
active duty in the United States Air Force. It was very moving
to see so many students line the hallways, wearing red, white,
and blue in honor of such a wonderful teacher.
I hope you all have a safe and wonderful March!
Sincerely,
Ryan Alsup
Proud Principal of Evergreen High School
Go Cougars!
What’s Inside. . .
2 March CMAS/PARCC Testing
3-5 Counseling
5 Attendance
6-7 Legally Blonde—Spring Musical
8 Swimming/DECA
9 Diversity Day
10-12 IMB News
13 English 9 Projects
14 Senior Countdown
15 PTSA/Memory Boards/After Prom
16 April/May CMAS/PARCC Testing
17 AP Testing/Summer Travel
Cougar close-up
Page 2
Cougar close-up
Page 3
Hello from the Counseling Department
Get Ready for the ACT!
Evergreen High School is partnering with CollegeDrive to help juniors raise their ACT scores.
There will be two FREE ACT Prep Session offered by CollegeDrive in March and April:
 ACT Workshop is available to juniors during PARRC Testing
Tuesday, March 3, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in the EHS Auditorium
 ACT Cram Session for juniors
Wednesday, April 15, from 7:30 a.m.-9:15am in the EHS Auditorium
Juniors, don’t miss these great opportunities to get one more ACT prep session in before the state
ACT test. Private prep classes are also available. Call CollegeDrive 720.496.2244 or go to
www.collegedrive.com
All juniors will be taking the ACT test on April 28, 2015. This is an official ACT exam and scores will
show on junior transcripts. The test is provided by the state of Colorado. No payment is required.
All juniors must come to the College and Career Center on April 7 during their free period or lunch
break to pre-bubble the ACT answer sheet. Pre-bubbling the ACT answer sheet is mandatory prior
to the testing date. If a student is unable to pre-bubble on Tuesday, April 7, during his/her free period, the make-up date will be Wednesday, April 8, during ACCESS. If both are missed, a detention
will be issued. Please contact your counselor with any questions.
All juniors are expected to arrive no later than 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28. Testing should be concluded by noon and juniors will be dismissed for the day. The April newsletter will have more specific
information.
If a student does not do as well as he/she had hoped on the state ACT test and would like to take another official ACT, he/she must register directly with ACT. The state ACT test does not include Writing. If your student’s colleges require Writing they will need to register for that on the ACT website.
Additionally, if a student is considering college admission to a school that specifically requires an
SAT score, the student must register directly with College Board. Please see details below for both
ACT and SAT testing dates still available for this school year. Most colleges and universities will accept ACT scores unless their admission requirements state otherwise. Admission requirements can
be found on each college or university’s website. If you have questions, contact your counselor.
ACT & SAT testing dates remaining 2014-2015 school year
ACT: (You can register online at www.actstudent.org) * Bold dates at EHS
Test Dates
Registration Deadline
Last Deadline
April 18, 2015*
March 13, 2015
March 27, 2015
June 13, 2015
May 8, 2015
May 22, 2015
SAT: (You can register online at www.collegeboard.org) *Bold dates at EHS
Test Dates
Registration Deadline
Last Deadline
May 2, 2015*
April 6, 2015
April 21, 2015
June 6, 2015*
May 8, 2015
May 27, 2015
Cougar close-up
Page 4
NCAA
Students who are interested in playing a sport in college at a Division I or II school must register at
the www.eligibilitycenter.org at the end of their junior year and request an official transcript be sent to
NCAA from EHS. Please see your counselor with any questions.
Requirements for NCAA eligibility are changing. Please see the NCAA website for more information.
www.NCAA.org
Seniors
Please be sure to provide Ms. Linda Hatcher, Counseling Secretary, a copy of all scholarships and
award documentation, even if you do not plan to accept or use the award. The documents must be
received no later than Monday, May 5, 2015 (no exceptions). Accepted scholarships will be recognized at the Senior Academic Award Ceremony.
College Planning Blog
Welcome to Peter Van Buskirk’s Best College Fit
“‘Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve’ —Passing Forward the Lessons Learned”
2.17.15
Thousands of anxious Early Decision and Early Action applicants are now learning the outcome of
their applications and while the news brings excitement and relief to many, even more students find
themselves holding letters of deferral or denial—and wondering what went wrong.
This has been brought home to me in various conversations with students and parents over the last
six weeks. It is important to note that, in all cases, the conversations involved good students—
students with strong records and well-developed talents coming from strong academic programs.
And, by all accounts, they deserved better. Now, however, they are left scrambling to reorient themselves to different options.
As I learn about each situation, it is usually easy to spot the reason behind the non-admission. In
fact, a common theme emerges and it revolves around a lack of purpose or considered intent. In
other words, the manner in which the application was presented reflected random organization and a
sense that the sheer weight of good grades, superb extracurricular activities and worthy goals would
carry the day. At selective institutions, however, those characteristics do little more than put the student on the “competitive playing field” with hundreds or, in many cases, thousands of other equally
qualified applicants. They start the conversation, but often fall short of “clinching the deal.”
Consider, for example, the highly involved student whose application failed to convey the generosity
that shaped his character or the student who neglected to mention that the absence of a foreign language on her senior year schedule was due to a conflict with a course she is taking at a local college.
Imagine the difference a personal interview would have made for the student whose life circumstances had affected her performance in the classroom. Or the impact a thoughtfully developed personal
statement could have had in place of the hastily completed essay that was deemed “good enough”
by its author. In each case, the lack of intentionality—the failure to “connect the dots” of one’s life experiences—brought the candidate up “short” in the end.
And consider the opportunity the student has to demonstrate the synergy between himself and the
Cougar close-up
Page 5
institution in response to the typical “Why do you want to attend our school?” essay. Most students
fail to use this essay to their advantage. Instead, they produce superficial essays that cite the
school’s ranking and the prestige of its faculty. The more appropriate solution is to reach beneath
the surface of an institution’s reputation in order to reveal the synergy between the student’s aptitude, goals and learning style and the institution’s ability to complement them in real and personal
terms. This can make a big difference, especially in the competition for admission at colleges that
must make fine distinctions between great candidates.
Quite often, then, the difference between acceptance and non-acceptance boils down to the student’s willingness and ability to be thoughtful and intentional in the presentation of her application.
The winners in this competition are typically those who recognized—and seized upon—the opportunity
to “connect the dots” of their applications to present themselves in a cohesive, thematically consistent manner. More than qualified, they made themselves into compelling candidates.
While there is not much current seniors can do to change the presentation of their submitted applications, the lessons learned in the process are worth passing forward to those who can benefit from
them as they prepare their college applications.
It is for this reason that I will once again be offering a series of college application preparation workshops for high school juniors later this spring. “What’s My Story?” is an intensive four-hour exercise
that provides soon-to-be college applicants with proven strategies for eliminating the randomness
and connecting the dots of their college applications. To learn more (dates, locations, FAQs, testimonials) and to register visit “What’s My Story?” Workshops.
A Brief Note Regarding the EHS Attendance Policy
All parents/guardians are encouraged to review the EHS attendance policy at
http://www.evergreencougars.net/attendance.html
Questions that come up frequently are:
 Yes, a doctor’s note is needed to excuse a one period absence in the middle of the day. Ideally
these should be brought to the attendance secretary upon the student’s return to school. If the
student forgets to request the note from the doctor’s office, it may be faxed to 303.982.5141.
 Students are not excused from one class to do work for another class whether working here at
school or working at home.
 Any student who becomes ill during the school day should come
to the main office and check in with the clinic aide. This way the
safety of your student is assured, and we will be able to locate
your student if you need to come to school and pick him/her up.
 If you receive a phone call in the evening stating that your student
has been marked absent and you believe it is in error, it is your
student’s responsibility to get an absence correction form from the
Main Office, have it filled out by the teacher who has marked
him/her absent and return it to the attendance secretary. A correction will then be made on the student’s attendance record.
Parents can always check attendance status on Parent Portal.
If you have any questions regarding attendance please feel free to call Karen Kady, Attendance Secretary, directly at 303.982.5144. Attendance office hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cougar close-up
Page 6
Cougar close-up
Page 7
Legally
Blonde
rehearsal
Cougar close-up
Page 8
EHS State 4A Champions—Coached by Jeanne Godaire, Liz Hudd, Angie Harrington, Jill Mills,
and Cindy Amann, members of the team (in alphabetical order) are: Kara Goughlin, Katherine Halama, Alissa Harms, Maggie Hellard, Kamryn Holland, Katelyn Kenchel, Emma Klein, Jesse Klitzke,
Katrin, Lewis, Anna McDonald, Kate McDonald, Tyler McMonigle, Bailey Mills, Lindsay Morrow,
Josie Pearson, Bailey Smith, Lauren Vilims, and Anastasia Vincent.
DECA
Congratulations to the following students for their success
at our state DECA competition:
National Qualifiers (Orlando bound):
Lauren Harris / Melanie DiMinno - 1st place - Business Law
Lissy Harris - 1st place - Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan
James Morrato - 5th Place - Sports and Entertainment
Other Finalists (top 10 in the state for their event):
Hannah Graham - Fashion Merchandising
Ben Dlin / Evan King - Sports and Entertainment
Addison Leinen - Marketing Management
Robbie Weinel / Bailey Smith - Sports and Entertainment
What is DECA you ask? Check out this website: http://www.deca.org/
Cougar close-up
Page 9
Diversity Day is coming to EHS on April 24, 2015!
Diversity Day at Evergreen High School seeks to bring together all students to help promote cultural
equality and acceptance every day and works to expose students to the reality of our diverse and
colorful world in a way that reduces xenophobia - the fear and resulting judgment of others. We hope
to encourage people to accept and embrace difference as a strength, not as a weakness or divider.
“It’s Time...” is Diversity Forum’s mantra for change in our schools and our society. Diversity Forum
feels “It’s time” to encourage you to act in our community, and we challenge our community to practice acceptance and non-judgmental understanding in all interactions.
Diversity Day will be a full day event and will provide workshops and speakers from a wide range of
cultural communities.
If any parents or community members feel they can contribute to our program by sponsoring our
event, running a workshop, or getting us in touch with someone who could, please contact an advisor
below. Please read the sponsorship letter below to sponsor or participate in our Diversity Day activities. If you have any interest or general questions about this event, please contact:
Mr. Christian Ramaker – AP, [email protected], 303.982.0489
Mr. Chris Corbo – Advisor, [email protected], 303.982.5140
Ms. Risa Holmes – Parent Advisor, [email protected] 720.544.1498.
“It’s Time” to fully realize equality.
EHS Diversity Day—April 24, 2015
Sponsorship Invitation
Evergreen High School is proud to announce that it will be hosting its fourth all school Diversity Day
on April 24, 2015. Our theme this year is, “It’s Time.” Our goal for the day is to explore different cultures, belief systems, and ways of life that may be different from our normal day to day experiences.
In order to bring the most prolific and influential speakers to this event, we are requesting the support
of sponsors. With your sponsorship, you will receive certain benefits, including an invitation to attend
the event and being part of a networking luncheon with our dynamic Diversity Day speakers. We
hope you decide to be part of this amazing event. If you have any questions about sponsoring,
please contact Christian Ramaker, Assistant Principal, at [email protected] or
303.982.0489. We hope to partner with you and look forward to meeting you!!!
Sponsorship Levels
Parent Sponsor:
$35- One parent/household member is invited to participate in our Diversity Day and attend the
luncheon
$50- Two parents/household members are invited to participate in our Diversity Day and attend the
luncheon
Business Sponsor:
$75- One person can attend luncheon
$100- Business name is listed in program and one person can attend the luncheon
$150- Logo in program and one person can attend the luncheon
$200- Logo in program and two people can attend the luncheon
Note: All business sponsors need to be accounted for by Friday, April 10, 2015, as we will need to
begin the publication of our program at this time. Parent sponsors need to be signed up by Friday,
April 17, 2015.
Cougar close-up
Page 10
The Instrumental Music Program is busy during March!
Musicians in run the first two weekends in March. The Evergreen Instrumental Music Department is
proud to provide live music for the EHS production!
The Winter Guard, EHS’s competitive Color Guard, has four competitions in March. Their Regional
Competition is on March 7, followed by competitions in Arvada, Wheat Ridge and Westminster on
consecutive Saturdays.
Winter Percussion, our EHS drum line will be competing every weekend in March as well. You can
find them in Northglenn (March 7 &14), Longmont (March 21) and Wheat Ridge (March 28). Note,
these dedicated students are competing during Spring Break!
Fundraising is a year round pleasure for the instrumental Music Department and the whole EHS
community has the opportunity to participate in March!
The annual Butter Braid sale will begin March 3, so
contact your favorite EHS musician and order a few
Butter Braids!
Gift Cards for Wild Game are also being sold by the
Winter Percussion group, be sure to take an opportunity to support the Music Program and prepay
for a fun time at Wild Game.
Da Kind Soups in Evergreen is hosting a fundraiser for the Instrumental Music Boosters on Monday,
March 16. You will definitely want to stop by Da Kind on the 16th and a percentage of your purchases will be donated to the EHS Music Department. See page 9 for ad.
Lastly, Take stock of your Mattress needs! The annual Mattress
sale is on the calendar for Sunday, April 12. Please plan to
come and shop and purchase a mattress in support of your favorite high school musicians.
Cougar close-up
Above: Winter Guard hamming it up at a recent competition
Below: Mr. Cruse directing EHS band at Mountain Area Band Festival
Page 11
Cougar close-up
Page 12
Cougar close-up
Projects are on display
from Ms. Shimon’s 9th
grade English students,
who are learning about
the Elizabethan era.
Page 13
CLASS OF 2015 COUNTDOWN CALENDAR
September 10
Senior Class Meeting with Jostens (graduation cap, gown, announcement info)
March 2-20
Pick up blank memory boards in Main Office
Friday, April 10
Graduation Contracts Due
Monday-Friday, April 20-24
Return Senior Memory Boards to Main Office
Saturday-April 25
Prom
Monday, May 4
Information from all scholarships offered (including those not accepted) due to Counseling
May 4-15
AP Testing
Monday, May 11
Parking Fines Due
Wednesday, May 13
Senior Locker Clean Out
Exit Survey Party in Career Center
Thursday and Friday, May 14 and 15
Senior Finals
Monday, May 18
Senior Finals Make Ups
Modified 7 Period Day and Senior Farewell Assembly
Tuesday, May 19
All Fines Must Be Paid and Library Obligations Due
Senior Athletic Awards, by Invitation
6:00 p.m. Evergreen High Auditorium
Wednesday, May 20
Mandatory Graduation Practice, Cap and Gown Distribution
9:00 a.m. Evergreen High Gymnasium
Senior Roast and Toast
10:30 a.m. Evergreen Lake House
Senior Academic Awards, by Invitation
6:30 p.m. Evergreen High Auditorium
Thursday, May 21
Graduation Red Rocks Amphitheatre
1:00 p.m. Student Check In
1:30 p.m. Class Pictures
2:00 p.m. Ceremony Begins
Please note: Thursday is
a non contact day for 9th,
10th, and 11th grades.
Revised 8/14
Cougar close-up
Page 15
FROM THE EHS PTSA
Attention Seniors and Parents of Seniors:
Senior Memory Boards: Available for pick up starting March 2.
This project is a wonderful EHS tradition where you and your parents create a unique photo collage
of your first 18 years of life. It is a special way to celebrate the milestone of graduation! Beginning
March 2 seniors can pick up a blank board (free of charge) in the Main Office. You can choose a
gold, blue, or white board and will be given instructions with the board on how to decorate. Because
of space limitations at EHS, the completed boards will not be accepted until after Spring
Break. Please bring in the completed boards for one week only: April 6 to 10. PTSA will then display them at the After Prom Party and again at the Roast & Toast Luncheon on May 20, 2015. Any
questions email Karen Bailey [email protected].
After Prom Party - April 25th - The Wild Game
As a parent of a junior or senior, who may be attending Prom this year,
we are asking for your support of the After Prom. Each Year, the PTSA
sponsors the After Prom Party; a fun, safe, and local event for our students.
As you can imagine, an event like this comes with a hefty price tag and
your help in supporting this event is greatly appreciated. We ask that
each family that is able, make a donation of $50 to the After-Prom Party. If you can donate more to help off-set those who can’t, we would
greatly appreciate it.
Please send your donation (payable to EHS PTSA) to EHS After Prom,
6001 Bluebell Lane, Evergreen, CO 80439 or drop your donation by the
EHS office. If you have already donated, we thank you so much for
your participation.
Nancy Ortiz & Lisa McLagan
2015 PTSA Meeting Schedule
8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
March 10 ++ April 14 ++ May 12
Cougar close-up
Page 16
Cougar close-up
Page 17
AP Testing Schedule for Spring, 2015
DATE/TIME
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
May 4
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
English Lit
Spanish
and Comp
Language
United States
History
(12th)
(11th & 12th)
(10th)
7:30
11:30
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
Biology
(11th &12th)
7:30
Music Theory
US Government and Politics
(12th)
English Lang
and Comp
(11th)
(10th, 11th, 12th)
11:30
Comp Gov
and Politics
(12th)
World History
Human
Geography
(9th)
(11th)
Statistics
(11th, 12th)
Summer Travel Opportunity
Ms. Gordon is taking a group of students to Turkey and Greece this summer, and there is still
space available!
We’ll fly from Denver to Istanbul where we’ll spend two days. Then we’ll head to the Bergama region and visit the site of the ancient battle at Troy. From there we’ll go to Pergamon, Kusadasi and
Ephesus, then we’ll cruise the islands of Crete and Santorini. The trip ends with two days in Athens
and a day trip to Corinth. This trip is an amazing opportunity, especially for anyone interested in
the ancient world and lovers of classics like the Iliad (which almost all juniors at EHS read), the Odyssey, and Oedipus Rex.
If you’re interested, see Ms. Gordon in E-307.